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The number of Scottish applicants missing out on a university place increased to a new record level last year after more than doubling over the past decade of SNP rule, official figures have disclosed.

Universities admissions body Ucas has published data showing the number of Scots who failed to win a place after the 2007 admissions cycle was 8,280 but this increased to a record 16,645 in 2016.

The SNP’s free tuition policy is only affordable because Nationalist ministers impose a cap on the number of places allocated to Scottish and EU students.